Anti-syphoning fluid inlet system for washing machines



Jan. 7, 1958 P. E. GELDHOF ET AL 2,818,720 ANTi-SYPHONING FLUID INLET SYSTEM FOR WASHING MACHINES I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 9, 1953 IJTZVE iZZZ: T 5

Robert E. Lake a A Yefez Eduard G'e/dfiaf 7::7 I K E Z Z Jan. 7, 1958 P. E. GELDHOF ETAL ANTISYPHONING FLUID INLET. SYSTEM FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed July 9, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Unimd t -ES atent ANTI-SYPHONING FLUID INLET SYSTEM FOR 1 WASHINGMACHINES Peter Eduard Geldhof and Robert E. Lake, Benton Harbor, Mich., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application July 9, 1953, Serial No. 367,036

6 Claims. (Cl. 68-207) This invention relates to improvements in fresh water inlets for washing machines and more particularly relates to an anti-syphoning fluid inlet particularly adapted for automatic washing and extracting machines.

A principal object of our invention is to provide a simple and improved form of fluid inlet for washing machines constructed and arranged to avoid contaminating the source of supply of water for the washing machine by'syphoning the dirty water back to thesource, upon low pressure conditions at the source.

A further object of our invention is to provide a fluid inlet means for supplying clean water to washing machines and so arranged as to prevent the syphoning of sudsy water through the inlet in case of low pressure conditions at the source of supply of the fresh water.

A further object of our invention is to provide a simple and novel form of anti-syphoning fresh water inlet for washing machines so arranged as to prevent syphoning back of the sudsy water to the source of supply by spacing the inlet a substantial distance above the clothes container and by shielding the inlet from water overflowing the clothes container.

A still further object of our invention is to provide an anti-syphoning fluid inlet for washing machines and the like in which the clothes container is rotatably carried within a tub and the tub is provided with a ring or shelf of substantial area extending over the clothes container and has a fitting leading therethrough at an angle into which water is directed to the clothes container by an inlet nozzle spaced thereabove and shielded from the overflow of water from the clothes container.

These and other objects of our invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: p I

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a combined washing and extracting machine, with part of the top of the cabinet broken away in order to show the anti-Syphoning inlet of our invention;

Figure 2 is a rear end View of the machine shown in Figure l, with the back walls of the cabinet broken away in order to show certain details of the inlet not shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged partial fragmentary view in side elevation of the upper part of the washingmachine with certain parts of the cabinet broken away and shown in vertical section, and showing certain parts of the clothes container and-tub in vertical section with the anti-syphoning inlet constructed in accordance with our invention mounted on the tub;-and

Figure 4 is an exploded View of an anti-syphoning inlet constructed in accordance with our invention.

In the embodimentof our invention illustrated in the drawings, we have shown generally a washing machine including. an outer cabinet '11 enclosing a generally stationary tub 12 having'a clothes container 13 rotatably journaled-therein, Q

The tub 12 and clothes container 13 are shown as ice being carried on a floating platform 14, suspended from an upper portion of .the cabinet 11 on a plurality of yieldably. supported. spaced suspension links 15, 15.

The clothes .containerli'a may be of a well known form commonly used in combination washing and extract-- ing machines, whichextract water from the clothes by centrifugal action and is shown as having an inturned upper end portion 16 extending inwardly of the wall of the tub 12. The clothes container 13 may also have an oscillating agitator (not shown) mounted therein as in PatentNo. 2,521,157, granted on September 5, 1950, to Peter Eduard-Geldhof and Luther Ringer. The clothes container 13, the. agitator and the mechanism for o-scillatably driving the agitator (and spinning the clothes container to extract. water ,from the clothes therein, are clearly shown in the aforementioned Patent No. 2,521,15 7, and are no part of our present invention so need not be shown or described further.

Thetub 12 is shown as-having an annular flange or shelf 17 extending inwardly from the upper end thereof over the inturned flange 16 of the clothes container 13 and having a downwardly'turned inner end portion 18 extending within the margin of the inturned flange 16, and forming'an opening for access to and the insertion of clothes in-the clothes container 13. The flange or shelf extends inwardly from an outer ring 14 formed integrally therewith,,and sealed to the upper edge of the tub as by a sealing ring 19 extending along the upper edge of .the tub and interposed between the ring 14' and inner margins of the tub and also extending upwardly from said flange to prevent the splashing of water over the edge of the tub.

The flange 17 is shown as having a relatively large area top surface, extending well within the inner margins of the flange 16 of thetub 13 and sloping toward the clothes container 13. The flange 17 also has an enlarged area sloping 'rear shelf like portion 21, having a generally rectangular embossment 22 thereon having a generally horizontal upper surface. A central generally angularly extending recessed portion 23, is shown as being pressed downwardly from the embossment 22 and as having an angular outlet 24 across which extends a screen 25.

A fitting 26 is shown as being mounted on the embossment 22 as by self tapping screws 27, 27 which may be threaded within inserts 28, 28 insertable in corresponding apertured portions of said embossments (see Figure 4). The fitting 26 may be a casting in the form of a plate having an angular passageway member 29 leading therethrough at the angle of the recessed portion 23. The screen 25 may be interposed between the end of the passageway member 29 and the inner end of the recessed portion 23 defining the outlet 24.

A gasket 30 is shown as being mounted on the top surface of the plate forming the fitting 26 and as having a. base 31 of a nozzle 33 abutting the top surface thereof and mounted thereon by the screws 27, 27. A baifle or guard 35 for the nozzle 33 is shown as extending along the inner edge of the embossment 22. The wall of the baflie 35 is shown as extending parallel to the margin of the shelf 21 and as having an inwardly extending end wall 36 extending in front of the nozzle 33, to guard the discharge end of said nozzle and to prevent sudsy water which may come over the top of the ring 17 from coming in contact with said nozzle and being syphoned back to the source of supply of fresh water, upon low pressure conditions at the source of supply of water.

The nozzle 33 is shown as being supported at the upper ends of connected angularly extending walls 37, 37 extending angularly upwardly and backwardly from the base 31 and having an inwardly extending upper arch-like portion39 having connection with the nozzle 33 intermediate the ends thereof, and herein shown as being formed integrally therewith. The walls 37 extend around the back and opposite side of the nozzle 33 from the walls of the baflle 35, to prevent the splashing water over the back edge of the tub to the sealing ring 19.

The nozzle 33 is herein shown as being tubular in form having a hose or flexible tube 40 connected to its upper end. The hose 40 is shown as extending upwardly of the nozzle 33 and then curving downwardly in the form of a U, and as being connected with a mixing valve 41 for supplying. hot, cold, or mixed hot and cold water to the clothes container under the control of two solenoids 42, 42, as is well known to those skilled in the art, so not herein shown or described further.

It may be seen from the foregoing. that the discharge end of the nozzle 33 is protected from the water in the clothes container 13 by the flange 17' and shelf like portion 21 thereof, and is spaced a substantial distance over the shelf 21 and shielded by the baflle or guard 35 from water flowing over the top of the shelf 21', so as to avoid all possibility of said nozzle syphoning sudsy water back into the source of supply of clean water, upon areduction in pressure therein.

It may further be seen that the nozzle 33 is directed to direct water through the passageway 29 at the angle of said passageway and through the screen 25, over the edge of the flange 16 of the clothes container 13.

It may still further be seen that the anti-syhoning nozzle of our invention is of a simple construction being made from a unitary casting, the support for which forms a deflector to prevent the splashing of water over the outer side of the tub and that the nozzle is located rearwardly of the margin of' the clothes container and directs an angular stream of water over the flange thereof, broken by the screen 25, to. supply water directly to the clothes container, and that the baffle cooperating with the nozzle avoids all possibility of water being syphoned upwardly through the nozzle to the source of supply of water.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected in the present invention without departing from the scope. of the novel concepts thereof.

We claim as our invention:

1. An anti-syphoning inlet for clothes washing machine comprising a ring adapted to fit Within the upper margins of a tub and having a flange extending inwardly therefrom and sloping downwardly toward the tub, the inner margins of which fl'ange define a clothes receiving opening, an embossrnent' on said' flange having a generally horizontal top surface and: having a depression therein opening therethrough at an angle, an angularly extending nozzle mounted on said emb'ossment in vertically spaced relation with respect thereto and inclined to direct a stream of water through said opening at the angle thereof, and an. imp'erforate baffle cooperating with said" nozzle and extending upwardly from said flange along the v inner side of said" flange and said nozzle, to deflect water flowing over the top of said. flange away from the region of said nozzle.

2. An anti-syphoning inlet for: clothes washing machines comprising a ring adapted to fit within the upper margins of a tub and having a flange extending inwardly therefrom and sloping downwardly toward the tub, the inner margins of which flange define a clothes receiving opening, an embossnrent having a generally horizontal top surface and having a depression therein opening therethrough at an angle, a fittingmountedon said embossment having an angular. passageway member leading therethrough and extending within said depression and directed to supply water through said opening at the angle thereof, an angularly disposed nozzle mounted on said fitting in vertically spaced relation with respect to said flange and extending at the angle of said passageway member to direct a; stream of: water therethrough, the support for said nozzle on said fitting comprising upwardly extending outwardly inclined angular walls extending from said fitting and along two sides thereofand curving inwardly tor 4 ward said fitting at their upper margins, and having said nozzle formed as an integral" part thereof, said 'Watlls' re taining the water discharged through said nozzle to said passageway member.

3. An anti-syphoning inlet for clothes washing machines comprising a ring adapted to fit within the upper margins of a tub and having a flange extending inwardly therefrom and sloping downwardly toward the tub, the inner margins of which flange define a. clothes receiving opening, an embossment having a generally horizontal top surface and having a depression therein opening therethrough at an angle, a fitting mounted on said embossment having an angular passageway member leading therethrough and extending. within said: depression and directed to supply water through said opening at the angle thereof, an angularly disposed nozzle mounted on said fitting in vertically spaced relation with respect to said flange and extending at the angle of said passageway member to direct a stream of Water therethrough,-

the support for said nozzle on said fitting comprising upwardly extending outwardly inclined angular walls extending from said fitting and along two sides thereof and curving inwardly toward said fitting. at their upper margins, and having said nozzle formedv as an integral part thereof, said walls retaining the water discharged through said nozzle to said' passageway member and a bafiie on said fitting and extending therealong adjacent the inner margin of said flange and directed to protect the side and end of said nozzle adjacent the clothes receiving opening. defined by the inner margins of said flange, from sudsy water overflowing said flange.

4. In an anti-syphoning inlet. for clothes washing machines, a ring adapted to fit within the inner margins of a washing machine tub and having a flange extending inwardly therefrom, the inner margin of which ring defines a clothes receiving opening, said flange having a depression therein having an apertured' portion to direct water therethrough, a nozzle supported in spaced relation with respect to said flange over said depression and in direct alignment with said apertured portion to direct water therethrough, the support for said nozzle including two diverging oblique walls extending upwardly fromsaid' flange and converging at their upper ends and extending over the top of said nozzle to shield said depression and prevent the splashing of water onto said ring. and along the sides of the washing. machine tub.

5. In an anti-syphoning inlet for clothes washing machines and the like, a ring adapted to fit within the upper margins of a washing machine tub and having a flange extending inwardly therefrom, the inner margin of which ring defines a clothes receiving opening, said flange having a depression therein opening therethrough at an. angle, a nozzle supported in vertically spaced relation with. respect to said depression and directed to direct a stream of water through the opening. therethrough, the support for said nozzle including two diverging walls spaced. rearwardly of said nozzle and extending upwardly from said flange and converging at their upper end por tionsand extending. inwardly therefrom and having said nozzle supported thereon to retain water for discharge through the opening through said depression, and to prevent splashing thereof along. the sides of the washing machine tub, and baflle means spaced. inwardly of said i nozzle adjacent the margin of said ring and. havingv one wall extending along the inner side of said nozzle and a joining angular wallextending across the discharge end thereof, to protect said nozzle from water flowing over the cop of said tub onto said ring.

6. In an. anti-syphoningin'let for clothes washing machines'and the like, a ring adapted. to fit within the upper margins of a tub and having. a; flange extending inwardly therefrom; the inner margin of which defines a; clothesreceiving opening, said flange having a depression therein opening therethrough at an angle, a baflieextending'alon'g the inner side of said depression adjacent the margin of said ring and outwardly therefrom for shielding the same, a nozzle supported in vertically spaced relation with respect to said depression and rearwardly therefrom and inclined at an angle to direct water through the opening therethrough, the support for said nozzle including two oblique diverging walls spaced rearwardly thereof and extending upwardly from said flange and converging at their upper ends to form a downwardly directed pocket, said nozzle forming a continuation of the converging upper end portions of said walls, and said walls shielding said depression to direct water through the opening therethrough and prevent splashing thereof onto said flange and along the outside of the washing machine tub.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,095,505 Kirby Oct. 12, 1937 2,417,908 Bowen Mar. 25, 1947 2,498,179 Oliver et a1. Feb. 21, 1950 10 2,523,801 Woodson Sept. 26, 1950 2,552,398 Briggs May 8, 1951 

